Kelly Clarkson’s Daughter Getting Bullied for Dyslexia Receives Inspiring Advice From Henry Winkler

Kelly Clarkson and Henry Winkler

Photos: Jean_Nelson/Depositphotos (left), s_bukley/Depositphotos (right)

Sometimes, having someone to look up to can make a huge difference. This is especially true for the little ones who have to face obstacles they can't fully understand yet. Such is the case for singer and TV host Kelly Clarkson‘s daughter, River. The 8-year-old has dyslexia, and has sadly been bullied at school for not being able to read like the rest of her classmates. Hoping to cheer her up, Clarkson brought up the work and talents of famed actor Henry Winkler, who is also dyslexic. In a truly heartwarming moment, the Happy Days and Barry star has now sent River some very encouraging words about her condition.

Winkler paid a visit to The Kelly Clarkson Show, where they talked about his admiration for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his latest projects, and his success as an author. On top of being best known for giving life to “The Fonz,” Winkler also created the Hank Zipzer series. This collection of children's books tell the story of a dyslexic kid, for which Winkler drew from his own experiences as a little boy.

Clarkson, who has seen her daughter struggle with bullying, shared her experience with Winkler. “I was driving my daughter to school yesterday, and she's dyslexic,” Clarkson said. “And you have told me that you're dyslexic as well. I find that amazing, to tell my daughter that you've written like 40 books and you're dyslexic.”

The host then recalls how she learned how common thee condition is—1 in 5 children are diagnosed with dyslexia. “She's part of the tribe!” Winkler chimed in. Clarkson then recounted how at River's school, they did an event where she learned about stars with dyslexia, like Anthony Mackie, Zachary Levi, and Winkler himself. “It really empowered her that you all are so open about it,” Clarkson said.

Winkler then looked straight at the camera and sent River an inspiring message. “River! How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are,” he said with a sweet wink, as Clarkson teared up. The singer then joked about ruining her makeup, but Winkler, kind as he is, said “You look good!” before cracking a joke to make her laugh.

The actor then talked about the daunting task of writing his autobiography, Being Henry, which you can pre-order on Bookshop before it comes out on October 31, 2023. In the meantime, you can catch Winkler on the fourth and final season of HBO's Barry.

Actor Henry Winkler paid a visit to The Kelly Clarkson Show, where he talked about his latest projects and his success as an author.

Clarkson brought up that her daughter has been bullied at school for not reading like the other kids. “You have told me that you're dyslexic as well. I find that amazing, to tell my daughter that you've written like 40 books and you're dyslexic.”

Kelly Clarkson with then husband and children on an orange carpet

Photo: Jean_Nelson/Depositphotos

Winkler then looked straight at the camera and sent the girl an inspiring message. “River! How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are.”

Henry Winkler smiling

Photo: s_bukley/Depositphotos

Watch the sweet moment in the video below:

Kelly Clarkson: Website | Instagram | Spotify
h/t: [People]

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Regina Sienra

Regina Sienra is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Based in Mexico City, Mexico, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with specialization in Journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has 10+ years’ experience in Digital Media, writing for outlets in both English and Spanish. Her love for the creative arts—especially music and film—drives her forward every day.
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